I Can Upgrade My Talent Infinitely

Although Wang Lingwei’s official status was a Supreme Elder of the Celestial Cloud Sect, she was also the ancestress of their Wang Family. Within the Wang Family, no Cultivator outranked her in seniority, nor did any possess greater prestige.

At this moment, Patriarch Wang was already pondering how to persuade Wang Lingwei to act according to his wishes.

「The core area of the Wang Family ancestral grounds.」

Inside the magnificent ancestral hall, all the Wang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators whom Wang Lingwei had summoned had arrived.

Including Patriarch Wang, there were seven other Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Wang Family.

The Wang Family currently had a total of eleven Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Three others were over in the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm. As the Celestial Cloud Sect’s most powerful subordinate Foundation Establishment Influence, they had long ago secured a piece of territory there with Wang Lingwei’s help.

"Wang Tianba." Wang Lingwei’s gaze fell upon Patriarch Wang.

"I am here, Ancestress."

"The family’s new Abnormal Spirit Root Cultivator... it was you who stopped her from going to the Celestial Cloud Sect, wasn’t it?"

’Just as I thought.’

Patriarch Wang was not surprised in the slightest. He knew that Wang Lingwei had returned to the Wang Family precisely for this matter.

He had already made it clear in a family meeting that this matter should be kept from Ancestress Wang Lingwei. After a few years, the Celestial Cloud Sect would most likely no longer accept an Abnormal Spirit Root Cultivator from their Wang Family as a disciple.

This was because it would be difficult to cultivate a sense of belonging to the Celestial Cloud Sect in her.

’So, there are still some among the family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators who aren’t on my side.’

"Yes, Ancestress. Caiyun is an Abnormal Spirit Root Cultivator. If she successfully reaches Core Formation within our Wang Family, we can become a Core Formation Clan."

"A Core Formation Clan... Your ambition is not small. If I were to return to the Wang Family, would that not make the Wang Family a Core Formation Clan?"

"If you were to return, Ancestress, that would naturally be for the best," Patriarch Wang said with a small smile.

"Simply preposterous!"

Wang Lingwei’s outburst startled many of the Wang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators, causing them to flinch.

"A Core Formation Influence needs its own Earth Realm. Where would the Wang Family get an Earth Realm? Would you snatch it from the Celestial Cloud Sect? Wang Tianba, why don’t you tell me?"

"Well..." Patriarch Wang hesitated for a moment before speaking. "We could negotiate with the Celestial Cloud Sect."

"Ha."

Wang Lingwei laughed.

"So it’s true that people laugh when they’re at a loss for words. How did the Wang Family ever choose you to be Patriarch?"

The pressure on Patriarch Wang mounted instantly. The meaning behind Wang Lingwei’s words was that she might force the Wang Family to choose a new patriarch.

If the Wang Family were to choose a new patriarch this time, Wang Lingwei would certainly intervene. Under normal circumstances, she would not interfere with the family’s election of a patriarch.

At this moment, Patriarch Wang wanted to say something, but Wang Lingwei gave him no chance to speak.

"You still think you can negotiate with the Celestial Cloud Sect? The future Celestial Cloud Sect will give you no such opportunity. As the Patriarch of the Wang Family, your vision is far too narrow..." As she spoke, Wang Lingwei let out a long sigh.

’This isn’t a viable path for a subordinate power of a Core Formation Sect.’

Throughout the entire Qionglin Domain, only Core Formation Influences possess an Earth Realm. When has a Foundation Establishment Influence ever owned one? In reality, a Foundation Establishment Influence that is subordinate to a Core Formation Influence is little more than an extension of it.

If the Wang Family truly dared to become independent, even if the Celestial Cloud Sect granted them some territory, it wouldn’t be long before the family would surely fall to an Evil Dao Core Formation Sect.

For such an independent power, the Celestial Cloud Sect granting it any territory at all would be the height of tolerance. There would be absolutely no follow-up support. What’s more, the current Wang Family doesn’t even have a single decent Array Master.

"Has he changed the family’s rule about sending members to the Celestial Cloud Sect?" Wang Lingwei asked the other Wang Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

"No."

One of the Wang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators quickly answered.

As a subordinate Foundation Establishment Cultivation Clan of the Celestial Cloud Sect, whenever a True Spirit Root Cultivator appeared in the family, the rules dictated that half of them would be sent to the Celestial Cloud Sect, while the other half would remain to develop within the family.

Within the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Earth Realm, most Cultivation Clan influences adopted this strategy. Other sects were a different matter; they mostly recruited the Cultivators left over after the Celestial Cloud Sect made its selections.

Wang Lingwei would always provide a certain degree of care for the Wang Family Cultivators who went to the Celestial Cloud Sect.

However, because there were many Cultivators to look after, the care she could provide to each individual was limited. This was one of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s unwritten rules, which even a Supreme Elder like her had to obey.

Supreme Elders like Zheng Wuji and Zhong Yankun were in a different situation. They weren’t the ancestors of any outside power, so each only had a single protege to look after, allowing them to provide much more support.

In all her years as a Supreme Elder of the Celestial Cloud Sect, Wang Lingwei had never overstepped this boundary. She knew full well what the consequences would be.

’If I want to provide more care, I must first strive for more power.’

Back on Dan Cloud Peak, she had an Elder close to her try to seize more power. But then Fang Yun—the current Sect Leader—had appeared out of nowhere.

Faced with such immense Alchemy Talent, there was no need to fight over certain powers. After all, his talent could bring her far too many benefits down the line. What she had envisioned back then had now basically all come to pass.

"It’s good that the rule hasn’t been changed. Tomorrow, Wang Caiyun will report to the Celestial Cloud Sect. Only within the sect can she have a better chance at Core Formation in the future. As Patriarch, you can’t even procure a Golden Core Pill, yet you presume to make such decisions for the family? In the future, once she succeeds in Core Formation, she can also take my place in looking after the family."

Patriarch Wang didn’t dare to say a single word now.

He was afraid that if he said just one more thing, his position as patriarch would be gone.

He could only nod in agreement with what Wang Lingwei had said.

At that moment, Patriarch Wang still didn’t think he was the one at fault.

He believed his method was wrong, that he hadn’t consulted with Wang Lingwei in a timely manner. ’If I had just discussed it with her sooner, perhaps things would have been different.’

Wang Lingwei was a Supreme Elder of the Celestial Cloud Sect and theoretically a Cultivator of the sect, but she still held absolute power within their Wang Family.

"...In the last few decades, the increase in the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family is, in the end, largely thanks to the current Sect Leader of the Celestial Cloud Sect. If he hadn’t been Refining Foundation Establishment Pills for you, some of you would still be stuck at the Peak of Qi Refining."

Wang Lingwei looked at the four new Foundation Establishment Cultivators the family had produced in the last fifty years. Including the one early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who was away, that made exactly five people—an average of one successful Foundation Establishment every ten years.

Having said all that needed to be said, she hoped the Wang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators had taken her words to heart.

Then, Wang Lingwei made a decision.

"Wang Tianba, from now on, you are no longer the family’s patriarch. You are not suited for this position. Henceforth, Wang Tianxiong will serve as the Patriarch of the Wang Family."

"But, Ancestress..." Wang Tianba’s heart sank, hoping Wang Lingwei would retract her command.

But he had barely spoken two words before Wang Lingwei cut him off.

"Do you have any objections!"

"None."

Lowering his head, Wang Tianba shot a glance toward Wang Tianxiong.

’Now I know who told the Ancestress.’

He and Wang Tianxiong had a good relationship. Logically, Wang Tianxiong shouldn’t have been the one to inform on him. And yet, this turn of events forced Wang Tianba to consider the possibility.

"Thank you, Ancestress." Wang Tianxiong took a step forward, accepting the position of the future Patriarch of the Wang Family.

"Mm. Next, I have some good news for you."

’The first major issue is resolved. Now to announce the second.’

None of the Wang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators spoke, waiting for Wang Lingwei to announce her good news.

"The final step of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s plan against the Celestial Demon Sect is about to begin. All of you are to prepare yourselves. When the time comes, fight with all your might to seize more territory for the Wang Family."

There was still a considerable amount of land within the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm that they had not yet occupied.

They weren’t supposed to occupy these lands first before launching the final step against the Celestial Demon Sect.

If they occupied all the territory outside of the Celestial Demon Sect’s main sect grounds, it would actually make it harder to take down the Celestial Demon Sect itself.

"Ancestress, what is the final step of the plan?" one of the Wang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators asked curiously.

Naturally, they were not privy to the specific details of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s plan.

When dealing with the Celestial Demon Sect, they always just followed orders.

"Why do you need to know so much? Just prepare yourselves."